The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Stars back on track after fine derby win
Poor weekend for Flyers as they go down at home and on road
DUNDEE STARS 4 FIFE FLYERS 1
Dundee Stars ended a potentiallydamaging five-game losing streak at the city’s Ice Arena last night.
And there was no better time to do it with arch rivals Fife Flyers on the receiving end as they won 4-1.
Stars coach Omar Pacha knew just how important the victory was. Speaking after the match, he said: “It was a big win, we needed it and that is the main thing, we needed two points in the standings.
“I thought the guys played good enough to win and at times we made some mistakes and we missed a few chances I think we would like to have back. Overall, we had a professional approach all night and solid goaltending, so it was a good night.”
It was Flyers who made the ideal start, grabbing the opener in the third minute. Stars turned the puck over in their own end and a square pass from Mike Cazzola allowed Brett Bulmer to finish past a stretched-out Pontus Sjögren.
However, just after the five-minute mark Stars drew level. Drydn Dow slid home Matt Marquardt’s pass that went across the crease of Flyers’ goal.
Two big hits from Stars players Fabrizio Ricci and Lukas Lundvald raised the atmosphere in the DIA as the tensions between the teams began to come to the surface.
As the first period was drawing to a close, Ricards Birzins delivered a big check to Dundee rookie Craig Garrigan, earning himself the game’s first penalty for interference in the 15th minute.
Todd Dutiaume’s men killed off the penalty before there was a chance at either end as Sjögren made a stop with his head after a dangerous turnover by Dundee.
Tensions flared again but the referees quickly settled it down. The Taysiders took their first penalty of the game as Shawn Boutin was called for hooking with 18 seconds left on the clock.
Flyers missed a huge chance to retake the lead in the second period when Cazzola combined with Carlo Finucci but Sjögren went from post-to-post to deny the Flyer.
Instead it was the home side who went in front when Oliver Paczkowski netted his first goal for his new club as he took Lundvald’s delayed pass and slid it under a diving Shane Owen in the 28th minute.
Then it was 3-1 when Jordan Cownie combined skill with luck in the 34th minute. Ricci chipped a puck out from behind the Fife goal and it bounced off the side-netting before dropping in front of Cownie. The Dundonian hit the puck before it even touched the ice and it flew into the net.
With Dundee firmly in control of the game, it began to boil over again. Marcus Basara slashed Stars defender Kris Inglis behind the play. The pair were ready to fight but Stars goalie Sjögren quickly stepped in along with the referees and got in-between the two.
Inglis received a two-minute roughing penalty and Basara was assessed a slashing minor as well as roughing minor, leaving Stars on the powerplay inside the final two minutes of the second period.
The penalty was again killed but there was little respite for the Flyers as Craig Moore was then punished for a high stick after 42 minutes.
A lapse in concentration handed a chance to Charles Corcoran but despite him holding possession up for the rest of his team to get involved, Stars could not capitalise on Flyers’ mistake.
Dutiaume removed his netminder with 90 seconds to go and used his timeout as Fife desperately searched for the goal that would get them back in the game.
However, Dundee’s defence denied the Flyers before Marquardt chased down a blocked shot, held it up and sent a pass across to Brian Hart, who tapped in Stars’ fourth goal of the evening.
Despite leading 2-0 on Saturday, Flyers lost 7-4 to Coventry Blaze at home.
The Kirkcaldy men’s goals were scored by Marcus Basara, Brett Bulmer, Joe Basaraba and Evan Bloodoff.